


War and Peace Volume Number One

by GryffindorHealer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 23:14:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17610887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GryffindorHealer/pseuds/GryffindorHealer
Summary: On the first Christmas after Ginny finishes Hogwarts, Harry has to work.





	War and Peace Volume Number One

The problem with invisibility cloaks is that they are just that. Invisible. But not actually warm. Also even though underneath it one is invisible, too many things can reveal that one is there. Like footprints in snow, or the snow itself piling up on top of oneself.

Which is why Harry arrived very early to find a protected spot, let tonight’s snowfall cover his footprints, and still provide a clear field of view for this stakeout.

Sitting cross-legged with his back resting against the wall he settled in under his cloak. He reached up to roll the edges of the Ugly Cap down over his ears, then snug the Ugly Scarf around his neck. Smiling at memories of when Ginny started learning how to knit from Molly the summer after the War. The first Christmas she gave him the Ugly Cap, her first piece. Dropped stitches, lumps from uneven tightness and all, he put it on right after unwrapping it. He still wears it when it gets cold. The Scarf came next, on his birthday this year. She’d gotten much better, but since she’d matched the yarn colors, they took to calling it the Ugly Scarf.

It was getting dark and he didn’t want to use wand light to read, so he cast a low grade warming spell on the long woolen underwear he wore, and sighed. He wasn’t sure which he would miss more, all the family chaos, laughter, hugs, teasing, opening gifts on Christmas morning, or visiting his parents graves with Ginny on Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow.

This would be the first time since the war that he couldn’t visit James and Lily on Christmas Eve. But he was here, and she was there. Pushing his hands into the sleeves of his corduroy coat for warmth, he touched his wand in its forearm sheath and silently set the charm for it to vibrate and wake him an hour before his watch started.

———

His wand started him awake. The sun wasn’t quite up over the horizon yet, just bright enough to see the light misty fog that covers the field in front of the warehouse behind him. Stretching under the cloak slowly he started working the stiffness of sleeping in an odd position out of his muscles and joints.

He felt the lump that was the paperback book he brought to read during his ‘off’ hours. Some Muggle writer name of Tolstoy. Thick thing, full of long confusing character names, stretch’s of boring interspersed with moments of action. It was about a family living through a war somewhere far away. But it didn’t sound anything like what he’d experienced.

Munching on some granola bars for breakfast while the sun slowly climbed out of bed, his thoughts turned to a conversation with Ginny from June.

_All I ever wanted is a family, he told her._

_You have a family, Harry. We’re your family._

_But you don’t want–_

_That’s not what I said. Think about what I said. And ask me again after a while._

His charmed rice paper vibrated He reached inside his coat and pulled the paper from the breast pocket of his shirt. _Next to my heart_ he chuckled to himself. What did Gin write that passes for a Japanese poem this time, he wondered.

 

_Christmas Eve and your_

_Family asks where you are,_

_Wants you to be here._

 

He thinks about his reply and is about to tap the paper to imprint it when he sees movement down at the corner of the warehouse. The folded paper went back into his shirt pocket, then his hand back into his coat sleeve, touching his wand. Concentrating on his five team members, he started tapping a pattern on his wand.

———

 

Christmas Eve late afternoon Ginny stood in front of the sitting room fireplace. There’s frost on the windows. She watched the sixteen people in the family group photo from last year. Most smiled back at her, some waving their hands. George looked lost without Fred next to him. Bill and Fleur were behind her and Harry, Fleur turning her face from the camera to Bill. Harry held his godson Teddy, Andromeda standing next to him opposite Ginny, her arm linked through Harry’s. She reached up, not quite touching the glass in the frame, first over the empty space next to George, then over Harry's face.

“Knut for your thoughts,” said Bill, resting a hand on her shoulder. She sighed, leaning into him lightly.

“I miss Fred.”

“As do we all,” he replied. “And Harry?”

“Him too. He probably won't be here this year. Work.”

“What’s he on?”

“Don’t know exactly. Something he and a small group started working nine months ago. He tells me what he can, but… He did say he didn’t think this part would last longer than Boxing Day.” They stood silent a bit.

“Has he asked, yet?”

“Bill,” replied Ginny quietly.

“Bugger off?”

“About that subject, yes.” He nodded and started to turn, but she slid her arm into the crook of his elbow and pulled him back. “I told him I’m not ready yet, ask me again after a bit and he wasn’t happy about it and we sort of had a row but it wasn’t really, I said we’re both still really young and there’s things I need to do we both need to do and he thought I said no but that’s not what I said and he got a bit pouty but he went and thought about it and after a while he said he would wait then he asked me out for a fly and I am rambling aren’t I?”

Bill chuckled and pulled her into a hug. “Just a bit.” They turn back to the photo. “So he did ask.” She nodded. “Not that you asked me for advice, and even if you get angry with me, I think you made a good decision, Ginny.”

“I sent him a message this morning. Haven’t heard back yet.”

Bill looks at her, curiosity in his eyes. “How can you send him a message when he’s out on assignment? They can be bloody strict on security.”

She grins at him, reaching into her pocket. “We haven’t shown these to anyone since we got them. Harry told me before he left on this trip that he wanted you to see them, maybe get an idea how involved they are.”

“What have you got?”

She held up the square of rice paper. “We got these in Japan on the Harpies goodwill tour this summer. Walking around sightseeing after the match, we found this old shop in a magical section. The proprietor was an old wizard, recognized me from the match and seemed to recognize Harry. Or at least what he does.”

Bill lifted his hand towards the paper, but didn’t quite touch it, rather as if he felt for energy around it. “There are a number of intertwined spells on this.”

Ginny nodded. “At one point in our conversation, he said something odd about Harry and I being at the crossroads, and what did I want. I told him I wanted a secure means to contact Harry that wouldn’t compromise his work.”

Bill glanced at her, his hand still cupping around but not touching the paper. “That explains some of this. What do you two do with it?”

“We write.”

“Letters?”

“No. Short messages. And part of the enchantment is they need to be sort of like a type of Japanese poem. Here, let me show you the one from this morning.” She unfolded the square, touched the center of the paper and the last message she sent to Harry appeared on the blank surface.

“Yeah,” Bill said, “I recognize it somewhat. High Queue or something?”

“He called it something else, but did say the two types are related. I just think of what I need to say then count the syllables. It can be frustrating. You know me and poetry.”

“Well, it certainly doesn’t feel like dark magic. May I?” She handed him the paper, knowing he would be able to decipher the charms better by touch, now that he determined it to be Not Dark. “This is really complex. There’s a history, security, alarm, a very different flavor on the protean charm, and a really strong impervious charm so it won't tear. How old did you say this wizard is?”

“I didn’t say. Just– old. After we left the shop Harry said the same thing, and thinks he is older than Dumbledore was.” Bill nodded. Then the writing on the paper disappeared and the sheet fluttered with a low buzz. “Oh…”

“What’s that?” Bill asked.

“The alarm you mentioned. Harry just replied,” she said.

“How do you read it?” Ginny touched the paper lightly, and words faded into the paper. They read it together.

 

_I long to be there…_

_Perhaps Father Christmas says_

_Look out the window_

 

Ginny turned and dashed to the sitting room front window. Charlie looked up from the magazine he was reading. Ginny turned and ran to the front door, pulling it closed behind her with a crash. Charlie looked over to Bill. “What’s that about, then?”

Bill glanced back at the paper, started toward the window. “I think Harry’s here.” Charlie joined him at the window. Ron came up behind them.

Out in the front garden, Ginny stood in the snow watching a figure walk towards the house. As he closed the distance they could see sunlight reflecting off of glasses. Ginny ran and leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips.

“Bloody Griffindor Common Room all over again,” said Ron.

“What’s that about the Common Room?” asked George stopping next to Ron. “Ah., Harry’s home.”

“What was that at the door?” Molly asked, wiping her hands on a tea towel as she came out of the kitchen.

“Harry’s here,” said Bill. “Ginny went out to greet him.”

“That’s nice. Thought she said he couldn’t be here though.” She looked out the window by the front door as Arthur came up behind her. “That silly girl.” She opened the door and hollered, “Harry, you bring Ginny in before she catches her death!”

Harry waved one of his hands, then dropped his arm, banishing a three foot circle of snow from around his feet. Then Arthur saw the shimmer of heat waves surround the couple and Harry’s arm returned to Ginny’s back.

“Give then a few minutes, Mollywobbles, they’ll be in. Besides, Harry’s put an impressive warming spell over them.”

Inside the sitting room, Charlie muttered, “Blimey. He did that wandless…”

———

 

Ginny slowly pulled away from their kiss and lost herself in twin pools of emerald green. “Hi you,” she said.

“Hi yourself,” Harry replied.

“You said you wouldn’t be back until Boxing Day.”

His face lit with a huge grin. “We caught a bit of luck. It went down today. All wrapped up, with a bonus. Three smugglers, two suppliers, all on counts of illegal importation of magical beasts. And no one got hurt.” She kissed him again.

“When?”

“Just as your message got to me.” He nuzzled her ear gently. “That’s why I couldn’t answer for so long. We nicked them, and then did the paperwork. Would’ve been here sooner but I sent Johnson and Caldwell home to be with their children, and finished up their reports.”

“So my philanthropist boyfriend sends other people home from work to deprive me of his presence?”

“No, your self-indulgent boyfriend used time when his girlfriend already wasn’t expecting him anyway so as to get Boxing Day off also. Now, let’s get you back inside so Molly doesn’t ruin my plans by hexing me because you risked your health. I am in desperate need of a very hot shower.”

“Can I wash your back?”

“Won’t say no. Need to borrow my cloak to sneak in?”

“Where's the fun in that?” she asked, nipping his lower lip.

“Go with me to visit my Mum and Dad this evening?”

She pressed her face into the crook between his shoulder and neck. “Wouldn’t miss it. Planned to go without you just to let them know why you couldn’t make it. I’ll let you explain that one though.” She kissed the pulse point on his neck, making him inhale sharply.

“We really need to go inside so Father Christmas can come.”

She kissed his cheek along his jawline up to his ear and whispered, “Father Christmas already brought my present, Harry. Now I just need to unwrap him.”

He knew he was wearing what Gin called his Goofy SoInLoveWithYou face when his eyes settled on the sitting room window where her brothers still watched them, nudging each other. _Their_ brothers.

“I think he already brought mine, too. Now _please_ indulge me, I really, really want that shower.”

She loosened her legs from his hips and he set her back on her feet. Arms wrapped about each other they walked back to the porch and into the Burrow.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title and portions of the story from a music prompt by Nicky Rubin - War and Peace (Celtic Invasion); also the stimulus for the reading material Harry takes on this stakeout.
> 
> Haiku as a poetry form must include a nature reference; there is another form called Senryu which concern human foibles.
> 
> All characters J. K. Rowling


End file.
